* The Saints are 3-0 for the first time in the 25-year history of the franchise.

* The 49ers haven't been 1-2 in a non-strike year since 1981, when they rebounded to go 13-3 and win their first of 4 Super Bowls.

* Minnesota had been 0-4 against San Francisco since upsetting the 49ers in the 1987 playoffs.

* New England, 1-15 last year, lost its 20th game in a row to an NFL opponent other than Indianapolis and hasn't beaten a team other than the Colts since Dec. 3, 1989.

* The Patriots -- last in the league in total offense, scoring and passing -- have scored just 22 points this season.

* It was the 14th straight loss for the Cardinals in Washington dating back to 1978 and Washington's 27th win over the Cards in their last 31 meetings.

* Cincinnati (0-3) is off to its worst start since 1985.

* The Packers (1-2) ended a 7-game losing streak dating to last November, when they last beat the Buccaneers.

* The Eagles' Clyde Simmons recorded a club-record 4 1/2 sacks. The 11 sacks of the Cowboys' Troy Aikman also was a team record. The 11 sacks produced 67 yards in losses for the Cowboys, who only had 45 yards passing.

* It was Philadelphia's eighth consecutive victory over the Cowboys, who have yet to defeat the Eagles with Jimmy Johnson as coach.

* Mark Higgs, thwarted in his bid to become the only Miami runner to ring up 3 consecutive 100-yard games, managed just 71 yards on 19 carries.

* Atlanta broke a 19-game road losing streak with its win over the Chargers in San Diego. The Falcons hadn't won on the road since Nov. 30, 1988, when they beat the Raiders, 12-6.

* Jeff Jaeger of the Raiders kicked 3 field goals without a miss for the second straight game.

* The Redskins' third win marked the fastest start for a Washington team since 1986, when they won their first 5 games and finished 12-4, losing in the NFC championship game.

* Redskins PK Chip Lohmiller's hot streak ended when he missed a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter. He had connected on 17 straight field goals going back to last season, including 5-for-5 this year.

* Colts C Ray Donaldson fractured his left leg in the first half and will be sidelined indefinitely.

* Detroit All-Pro LB Mike Cofer suffered a sprained left knee.

* Cleveland RB Joe Morris suffered a sprained knee.

* Denver LB Tim Lucas fractured the fibula in his left leg.

Can't keep a good man down

Vikings CB Carl Lee said it all: "I doubt very seriously that anybody called the San Francisco players this week and asked them what it was like playing against A.C. and our receivers."

Lee, who had been grilled all week about how he planned to handle San Francisco's Jerry Rice, was talking about Anthony Carter.

"I think A.C. always gets pumped a little more for San Francisco because of Rice," said quarterback Wade Wilson.

Carter stole the show from his All-Pro counterpart.

The Vikings trailed, 7-0, and faced a third-and-15 when Carter caught Wilson's pass at San Francisco's 40. Carter was stopped momentarily at the 30 by S Johnnie Jackson, but using his left hand for balance, he managed to keep his knees from touching the turf. He then raced down the sideline for the score.

"I thought I had gotten him down," Jackson said. "But when I hit him and rolled over, I saw he was still running."

"I just try to do whatever it takes to win," Carter said. "The guy cut my legs out from under me, but my knees never hit the ground. I kept my balance and came down on top of him, braced myself with my arm and kept going."

Junk sacks

Bryce Paup was credited with 4 1/2 of Green Bay's 7 sacks against Tampa Bay -- most by a Packers defender in 1 game since Ezra Johnson had 5 in 1978 -- but he didn't take much of that credit.

"Some of my sacks were junk sacks. Everybody else did the work and I'm there to make the tackle," said Paup.